In the end, Ayas was utterly defeated without ever drawing his weapon.
Watching him, I thought of Pierrot in the past. Full of pride, Pierrot had been incredibly stubborn. Of course, the current Pierrot had changed significantly, perhaps moved by my dedication and efforts to help him grow.
Ayas could also change depending on how I handled him, but right now, I wasn't interested.
‘Unlike Pierrot, he's a character I know nothing about.’
Unlike Pierrot, who had appeared in the game, I didn't know anyone on this continent. I had no way of knowing if Ayas was an ally or an enemy. In this game, judging good and evil by appearances could lead to disastrous consequences.
Ayas lay sprawled on the floor, struggling to catch his breath. Stamina might have been a factor, but his heavy breathing was probably more due to his mental state.
We had used up the entire class period fighting Ayas, but it was enough for the first day. Now, most of the students wouldn't underestimate me.
“That's enough sparring for today. We're out of time.”
After saying that, I turned around and began gathering my teaching materials.
I had brought various things to explain the principle of ‘Prediction’ after sparring with Ayas, but they had become useless.
Well, it wasn’t a problem since I could use them in the next class.
At that moment, my sixth sense tingled.
A wave of bloodlust washed over me from behind. It was definitely Ayas.
Ayas rose from his prone position and charged towards me. He was finally activating the divine power he had been so hesitant to use. The startled students shouted for him to stop, but no one could prevent his sudden, erratic behavior.
I did say ‘the sparring is over.’
‘If I use the devil’s power, he'll quiet down for a while.’
Through repeated use, I had gained complete control over the scope and intensity of the devil's power.
Of course, there had been minor sacrifices to get to this point, but for the greater good, I had to endure and move forward.
As I was about to unleash the devil’s power on Ayas,
Instead, I used Obsidian to create a barrier that blocked Ayas’s attack.
“Ugh! What is this!!”
Ayas, still consumed by rage, tried to cut through Obsidian, but his agitated state and clumsy posture made it impossible. Even with divine power.
“Stop! Stop it, Ayas!”
Soon, other students intervened and restrained Ayas.
“I suggest you calm down, Ayas.”
I spoke to Ayas, then looked at everyone else.
“I’ll see you all in the next class.”
As if nothing had happened, I finished gathering my materials and left.
On my way out, I glanced back at Ayas.
“Ah, and for the record, you have earned yourself a penalty.”
The strange sensation I felt before using the devil's power on Ayas…
To investigate it, I called for Arald and Lily.
Lily asked after I explained.
Ayas had been using divine power, and I was about to use the devil's power.
At that moment, my instincts screamed.
That if I used the devil’s power, Pantemonium might occur.
I needed to find out whether it was just my imagination or if something like that could actually happen.
“So, that’s what you’re saying.”
Arald spoke as if summarizing my words.
“If a human with divine power uses that power while clashing with demonic energy, Pantemonium will occur.”
“I’m not certain. I just had this uneasy feeling for a moment.”
The devil’s power was the power of the soul. Pantemonium was a clash of souls.
Did this mean that it could have the same effect on Gods?
“So, the condition isn’t just having divine power, but actively using it.”
“Have either of you experienced that? Using demonic power against someone actively using divine power?”
At my question, both of them fell into deep thought, as if searching their memories, but eventually shook their heads.
“I’m not sure. It’s extremely rare to encounter a human with divine power in the first place. And devils generally avoid fighting those with divine power. Most divine powers are fatal to devils.”
“I haven’t had that experience either. I dislike fighting to begin with, but humans with divine power have no reason to cross paths with me. Our company’s products are designed for ordinary people with weaker powers.”
As they spoke, I crossed my arms and looked up.
Devils avoided fighting Gods. Naturally, they also steered clear of humans with divine power. To devils, humans were sources of souls and desires to be exploited through contracts, not beings to confront head-on.
‘If I had used the devil’s power at that time and Pantemonium had actually occurred, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee Ayas’s survival.’
The loser in Pantemonium would be trapped within the victor’s power, subjected to eternal torment.
Of course, I could lose. If Ayas’s divine power was strong enough to overcome the power of the King of Hell, Baal…
I had indeed returned to Pantemonium and rescued Baal, but when I saved him, he was on the verge of complete collapse. It had only been a few minutes, but the King of Hell, Baal, had been driven to such a state.
Even if I tried to save him as quickly as possible, it was uncertain whether Ayas could withstand my Pantemonium for that long.
However, on the other hand,
‘If my enemy possesses divine power, I might be able to intentionally trigger Pantemonium.’
Pantemonium was the manifestation of one’s very soul. If my opponent had divine power, I might be able to discern which God they served by entering Pantemonium. Of course, that was assuming I was confident in my victory.
“Ah, right, Arald. Did you bring what I asked for?”
At my words, Arald immediately took out some materials from his bag.
It wasn’t anything special. I had asked him to show me the materials he had gathered for his 3D map data.
I accepted the stack of documents.
“This is quite a lot. Are these all maps of the Agoris Continent?”
“It includes maps, various symbols and markings, cultural information, scale standards, everything. I’ve prepared everything necessary to enhance the accuracy of the 3D map.”
I looked through the papers one by one.
One by one, one by one.
There were more than I expected, and just skimming through them took quite a while, causing the other two to tilt their heads in curiosity.
“……Frondier. Should we do this later? How about we set aside some time now and go through them properly?”
Just as Lily suggested that, considerate of my time, I finished skimming the last page and returned to the first.
Then, I handed them back to Arald.
“Thank you, Arald. This was helpful.”
“……? Weren’t you planning to familiarize yourself with the continental maps?”
“I’ve memorized them all.”
Arald looked perplexed, but he took back the materials I offered.